Power generation.



R. A. FESSENDEN.

POWER GENERATION.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.18. 1911.

1 ,2 1 4,53 1 Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

UNITED STATES PATENT omen.

REGINALD A. FESSENDEN, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS.

POWER GENERATION.

Application filed November 18, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REGINALD A. 'FEssEN- DEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the county of Norfolk and State of Mamachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in .Power Generation, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the production of power from heat engines, and more particularly to internal combustion engines. and still more particularly to internal combustion engines using solid fuel, though fuel oil or other combustible materials may also be used.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of an apparatus adapted for carrying out my invention, alfld' Fig. 2 shows a plan View "of a portion 0 it.

My invention consists in apparatus for improving the efliciency of the power production of internal combustion engines; in

means for introducing and burning the combustible matter; in means for rendering the energy of combustion available as utilizable energy; in means for regulating the rate of work; in means for indicating the energy of the stroke; in means for cleaning out the products of combustion and of introducing the air necessary for combustion and other efliciency producing means.

In Fig. 1, 10 is a U shaped chamber, containing water, 12, or other fluid, and having an extension 13. The shape of the cross section of this extension 13 is shown in Fig. 2, and is seen to be of a figure 8 section, with a vertically movable piston valve 15, having an opening 16 in it, the valve closing off connection between the two parts of the figure 8 except through the opening 16. When the water 12 oscillates backward and forward in the U, the length of the oscillating column will be determined 'by the position of the opening 16, and hence also the time of oscillation, and the rate of production of power.

17 17, 17 17, are valves, operated by the electromagnetic mechanisms 18, 18, 18', 18,

of the type well known in the art, such for.

example as the electromagnetic mechanisms used to operate the valves of the Curtis steam turbine. The operation of said valves is governed by the electric conductors 19,

i 19', inserted in the leg of the U, and insulated except at their terminals, as shown, the

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1917.

Serial No. 661,109.

controlling circuit being closed or opened by I the motion of the water 12.

The explosions take place in the two legselectromagnetic mechanism, which as above 1 stated may be similar to that used in the Curtis steam turbine, and the magnets being now deenergized, the springs opposing the magnets will open the valves, as in the operation of said Curtis steam turbine. V

The low pressure turbine 20 will be operated by the exhaust gases, which will flow into it from the left hand valve 17 and out from it by the exhaust valve 11. Air (which may be at any desired pressure) will be admitted by the right hand valve 17 which preferably has a delayed action, so as to open slightly later than the left hand valve 17 This air will be sucked into the pipe or partition 46, open at both ends, but covered with water at its lower end, so that the air is delivered at the upper end, in the combustion chamber, so that all the burnt gases are sucked out and replaced by fresh am On the water column inging back, driven by the explosion in the right hand member of the U, the contact lower.19 is closed, and the valves 17 17 close. The water 12 moves up the left handmember of the U, compressing the air till a certain pressure is reached, determined by the strength of the valve spring 45, or the electromagnetic mechanism 18, when the valve 17 opens and air .isdelivered under this pressure to the heat insulated pressure cham-v ber 21 and either stored there or allowed to ing air is still further compressed tiltl) the ed, this eing desired compression is reac taining fuel oil. The electromagnetic mech- 'anism 13, operating the plunger 32, feeds determined by the position of the bare terminals of the conductors 19, 19. The combustible is then admitted into the combustion chamber 11 by means of the rotary valve 24. The opening in the valve is on a diagonal, as shown. When this opening, 47, is in connection with the pipe 26, which pipe is connected with the fuel reservoir, the

diagonal space receives the charge of comthe size of grain of the combustible and the percentage of fine grains admixed with coarser.

The compressedai r for the pipe 27 may be obtained in any suitable way, as from a separate air compressor, or by tapping it off from the head of the combustionchamber by means of the valve 54, arranging the size of the chamber 11 and quantity of water 12 so that the final compression pressure of the charge of air is greater than the desired compression at the moment of combustion, so that the excess pressure opens the relief valve 54, admitting super-compressed air into the pipe 27, the water then falling (by reason of the momentum of the oscillating column having been expended and the column being pressed down byg the compressed air remaining in the head of the chamber 11) till the desired compression for combustion is reached, when the valve 24 rotates and the charge is blown in by the supercompressed air in the pipe 27.

The charge may be ignited in suitable ways, other than introducing it into compressed air, as shown in my application above referred to. For example, as shown in the right hand-leg of the U, the pipe 26' may be connected to a fuel reservoir containing coal dust mixed with water or conthe combustible into the pipe 33, which flares out at the top as shown. When the air is compressed it drives the water mixed with the coal dust a short way back down the tube 33, leaving the top more dry. This dry combustible then burns and drives the water down as before.

The turbine 22 preferably drives the electric generator 23, and the rate of power generation of the engine 10 is preferably automatically regulated in accordance with the load on the dynamo. This may be accomplished by varying the fuel charge but ll prefer to accomplish it by varying the time of oscillation of the fluid. One method of doing this consists in causing the dynamo load to operate the electromagnetic mechanism 29 to shift the position of the opening 16 of the movable piston 15, and thereby shorten or lengthen the moving water column.

The ashes of combustion settle at the bottom of the vertical pipe 13 and are drawn off by means of the valve 31, fresh water being admitted by means of the pipe 48 and valve 49. This may be done while the engine is running, but as a rule is best done daily. The water withdrawn is used for fertilizing as it stands, being pumped in pipes to the place desired or the salts may be crystallized out. The coal dust may also be mixed with water and piped from the mine to the place Where the station is located. The coal may also be mined in a pulverulent shape, instead of in lumps, by means of rotating cutters workin on the face of the vein, and the dust dellvered directly, at the heading, as it falls from the cutters, to the pipe line, thereby saving all handling.

Instead of the power being obtained entirely from the air compressed in the chamber 21, a portion or all of it may be obtained by allowing the expansion of the burnt gases to proceed to a certain point as desired, and so cooling off to a desired degree compatible with the most efficient working and a practical temperature of operation of the turbine, and then admitting the burnt gases to a turbine.

The invention is not limited to the internal heating produced by internal combustion. The heating of. the air in the compression space 11 may be effected by copper flues passing through the space 11, and the heated gases from the external combustion of straw or other fuel being alternately passed through the copper dues of the right and left hand leg alternately, may be used to pump water or produce power.

What ll claim is 1. The combination of a combined liquid piston internal combustion engine and air compressor, and a turbine adapted to be driven by the compressed air, the liquid piston of the internal combustion engine and compressor being formed by a single column of liquid.

2. The combination of an internal combustion engine, having its chamber adapted to act as an air compressor during one portion of a single reciprocating movement, and as a combustion chamber during a second portion of said movement, and a gas motor adapted to be driven by the com pressed air.

3. In combination, an engine having two cylinders with fluid pistons, means for introducing combustible materials and air into the cylinders, means for alternating the explosions and for causing the alternate explosions to compress the air charge in the other cylinder to that in which the explosion occurred within, and a gas turbine adapted to be driven b the gas so compressed.

4. In a flui piston engine, a fluid, means for oscillating said fluid, and means for varying the riod of oscillation of said fluid indepen ently of the power of the explosion in accordance with the power to be delivered. 7

5. In a fluidpiston engine, a fluid, means for oscillating said fluid, and electrical means for varying the eriod of such oscillation independently. 0 the power of the plosion in accordance with the power to be delivered.

6. In a fluid piston engine, a mass of liquid, meansfor oscillatin said mass of liquid, and means for varying the period of such oscillation independently of the power of the explosion in accordance Wit the power to be delivered.

7. In a fluid piston engine, a U-shaped chamber comprising two vertical legs, and having a vertical extension connected to the base thereof, said extension comprising two chambers communicating respectively with said legs, a mass of fluid in said .U-shaped member, a valve in said extension separating the two chambers thereof and provided with an opening whereby said fluid may pass from one of said chambers to the other, and means for varying the position of said valve in accordance with the power to be delivered.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of Nov. 1911.

REGINALD A. FESSENDEN,

Vvitnesses:

Geo. K. Woonwonrn,

E. B. TOMLINSON. 

